Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) stock fell 0.038% (As on Feb 4, 11:22:38 AM UTC-4, Source: Google Finance) though the company posted stronger-than-expected fourth quarter earnings thanks in part to sales of its blockbuster Keytruda cancer treatment and the recent emergency approval of its Covid antiviral pill. Annual Keytruda sales surged 20% from last year to $17.2 billion, Merck said, and were up 15% on the quarter at $4.6 billion. Sales of its Covid antiviral pill molnupiravir, which it developed with Ridgeback Theraputicis, saw sales of $970 million.

MRK in the fourth quarter of FY 21 has reported the adjusted earnings per share of $1.80, beating the analysts’ estimates for the adjusted earnings per share of $1.53. The company had reported the adjusted revenue growth of 24 percent to $13.5 billion in the fourth quarter of FY 21, beating the analysts’ estimates for revenue of $13.1 billion.

Looking into 2022, Merck said it sees full-year non-GAAP earnings in the range of $7.12 to $7.27 per share, with revenues in the range of $56.1 billion to $57.6 billion.

Meanwhile, Merck and Ridgeback announced data from six preclinical studies from multiple independent laboratories demonstrating that molnupiravir was active against the SARS-CoV-2 variant, Omicron (B1.1.529) in in vitro settings. Merck and Ridgeback announced the signing of a long-term supply agreement with UNICEF to facilitate broad global access for molnupiravir. Under the agreement, Merck will allocate up to 3 million courses of molnupiravir to UNICEF throughout the first half of 2022 for distribution in more than 100 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) following regulatory authorizations

In addition, Merck announced the successful completion of its acquisition of Acceleron. The acquisition complements and strengthens Merck’s cardiovascular pipeline with Acceleron’s lead therapeutic candidate, sotatercept, a potentially first-in-class therapy for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Merck presented results from two early Phase 1 clinical studies evaluating its investigational oral PCSK9 inhibitor (MK-0616) at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2021. The studies evaluated the safety and efficacy of this candidate being studied for cholesterol-lowering and measured reduction of high levels of LDL cholesterol. Merck plans to progress MK-0616 to Phase 2 in 2022. Merck announced the initiation of VICTOR (VerICiguaT in adults with ChrOnic heart failure and Reduced ejection fraction), a pivotal Phase 3 randomized, placebo-controlled cardiovascular clinical trial of Verquvo (vericiguat) in patients with chronic heart failure and reduced ejection fraction of 40% or less who have not had a recent worsening heart failure event.